Golden Globes: Five nominations for ‘The Favourite’, one for Caitriona Balfe

Irish-produced film ranks second only to ‘Vice’. Monaghan actor gets a fourth nod

'The Favourite', directed by Yorgos Lanthimo, is an Irish production from Element Pictures

Golden Globe nominee: Caitriona Balfe in Outlander

Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, an Irish production from Element Pictures, has secured five nominations for the 2019 Golden Globes. The shortlists were announced at lunchtime – the crack of dawn in Los Angeles.

A profane, intelligent comedy set in the court of Queen Anne, The Favourite was the second most nominated film after Adam McKay’s Vice, which scored six mentions. Olivia Colman, who plays the queen, is shortlisted for best actress in a comedy or musical. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, playing rivals for her majesty’s attention, compete in the best-supporting-actress race. The film is also up for best screenplay and best film (comedy or musical).

“It’s absolutely brilliant for the film,” Ed Guiney, the producer of The Favourite, says. “Getting these nominations is a very important way of telling audiences: this is a film you should see this year. It also highlights the film when it comes to the Academy Awards. It points out that it is something they should pay attention to.” Guiney is disappointed by the unexpected absence of Yorgos Lanthimos from the best-director race.

All observers assume that Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, sharing second place on the nominations chart, with five mentions, is a shoo-in for best drama motion picture

Caitriona Balfe, from Monaghan, continues her spell as a Globes regular with a fourth nomination as best actress in a television series, for her turn in the time-travelling adventure Outlander.

Saoirse Ronan, who was competing for best-drama actress with her title role in the upcoming film Mary Queen of Scots, missed out on a nomination this year.

The ascendency of McKay’s Vice, a scabrous study of the former US vice-president Dick Cheney, will have taken some observers by surprise. Christian Bale, nominated for best actor in a drama, gained 18kg, or almost three stone, to create his monstrous version of the political bruiser. It competes against The Favourite for best motion picture (comedy or musical).

The Irish production has a very good chance in that race, but further strong competition comes from Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns; Green Book, story of an African-American pianist touring the southern states in the 1960s, and the hit romp Crazy Rich Asians.

All observers assume that Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, sharing second place on the nominations chart, with five mentions, is a shoo-in for best drama motion picture. The fourth version of that popular Hollywood saga, starring Cooper and Lady Gaga, has played like gangbusters since debuting to raves at the Venice Film Festival in late August. It is currently the second-highest-grossing film of 2018 in Ireland.

As ever, there is some controversy over categories. Despite A Star Is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, a popular Freddie Mercury biopic, both qualifying as musicals, the studios behind those films entered their projects in the drama races and were rewarded with best-picture nominations. Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, one of the year’s best-reviewed films, picked up three nominations, but, as foreign-language movies are ineligible for the best-picture race, the Mexican film will not compete for the biggest battle of the night. This rule seems stranger still when you consider that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decides the Golden Globes.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story topped the TV charts, with four nominations. At the press event this morning Meher Tatna, president of the association, announced a new lifetime-achievement award in television. She compared the gong to the organisation’s long-established Cecil B DeMille award, which honours attainment in cinema.

Three of the films in the best motion picture (drama) race are from African-American directors, and there is a rare spot for an Asian-American director. But there are no women

Voted on by fewer than 100 (mostly obscure) members of that body, the Golden Globes cannot challenge the Oscars for prestige, but the ceremony is shorter, funnier and a great deal more irreverent. The actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will host the upcoming edition on January 6th.

There will be much chatter about diversity in the preceding weeks. Three of the films competing for best motion picture (drama) are from African-American directors: Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman and Barry Jenkins’s If Beale Street Could Talk. John Chu’s Crazy Rich Asianssecures a rare best motion picture (comedy or musical) spot for an Asian-American director. But there are no films in the best-picture races by women directors.

The announcement confirms, however, the continuing strength of Irish film. “We developed The Favourite for 10 years,” Ed Guiney, a founder of Element Pictures, says. “We attached Yorgos. We used Irish Film Board money and continued to develop it with our team in Dublin. It is obviously an international film. But Ryanair, say, remains an Irish company even though it doesn’t work exclusively in Ireland.” Element has already had success with Lanthimos’s The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

The Favourite, produced with Film4 Productions, will open in Ireland on New Year’s Day.

Best television series – musical or comedyBarry (HBO)The Good Place (NBC)Kidding (Showtime)The Kominsky Method (Netflix)The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Amazon)

Best performance by an actress in a television series – musical or comedy Kristen Bell, The Good Place Candice Bergen, Murphy Brown Alison Brie, Glow Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Debra Messing,Will & Grace

Best performance by an actor in a television series – musical or comedy Sasha Baron Cohen, Who Is America? Jim Carrey, Kidding Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Donald Glover, Atlanta Bill Hader, Barry

Best television limited series or motion picture made for televisionThe Alienist (TNT)The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)Sharp Objects (HBO)A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

Best performance by an actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television Amy Adams, Sharp Objects Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora Connie Britton, Dirty John Laura Dern, The Tale Regina King, Seven Seconds

Best performance by an actor in a limited series or motion picture made for television Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso Daniel Bruhl, The Alienist Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television Alex Bornstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Thandie Newton, Westworld Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method Kieran Culkin, Succession Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal Henry Winkler, Barry

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